The House vote that will decide the fate of Rep. George Santos will likely be pushed to Friday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told Axios, delaying the likely ouster of the scandal-plagued Republican after his refusal to simply resign.
The delay is likely to please Santos, who previously complained on X spaces that the Thursday vote coincided with his second wedding anniversary. “It’s kind of not cool,” he said of the timing.
Johnson on Wednesday said he is concerned about the precedent the House would set should it vote to oust Stantos after a damning ethics report exposed the extent of his various wrongdoings.
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“I, personally, have real reservations about doing this. I’m concerned about a precedent that may be set for that,” Johnson said during a press conference.
However, the House Ethics Committee’s findings—which include Santos’ spending of donor money on Botox and OnlyFans, among other improper behavior—have already prompted a number of lawmakers to reconsider their position.
Johnson and House leadership are not expected to nudge lawmakers in either direction, instead urging them to “vote their conscience.”
Johnson added that Republican lawmakers argued both sides of the expulsion vote during a conference meeting earlier that day.
“I think [that] is the only appropriate thing we can do. We’ve not whipped the vote, and we wouldn’t. I trust that people will make that decision thoughtfully and in good faith,” Johnson said.
